Wallaby star Israel Folau welcomes ARU clause but won’t guarantee he’ll stay beyond World Cup

ISRAEL Folau has welcomed the ARU’s new clause to allow Wallaby stars to play overseas, but won’t guarantee he’ll re-sign beyond the World Cup.

** DO NOT USE WITHOUT SPEAKING TO BRIAN ROBERTS ON THE DAILY PICTURE DESK ** Wallabies star Israel Folau pictured for the Saturday Daily Telegraph, ahead of Bledisloe Cup this Saturday night. Pictured near Circular Quay overlooking the Harbour

ISRAEL Folau has welcomed the ARU’s new clause to allow Wallaby stars to play overseas for a year, but he cannot guarantee that the landmark move will convince him to re-sign beyond next year’s World Cup.

The ARU recently overhauled their eligibility rules to allow select players who sign at least a three-year contract to join a foreign club for one season in that time, in what many have dubbed the “Folau clause”.

But Folau will assess “all options” before making a decision when his deal expires at the end of 2015.

As he has done throughout his exceptional three-code sporting career, Folau refuses to rule anything in or out about his future.

“I will assess all options, it comes down to what you want during that time, things change over time,” Folau said. “I will determine how things go and how I feel during that time.

“There’s always going to be talk about contracts and what I’m going to do, but I personally haven’t spoken about it at all.

“There is still plenty of time for me to think about it.”

The ARU buckled on its strict ­eligibility criteria for Wallabies ­selection as cashed-up foreign clubs are expected to entice Australia’s best players following next year’s World Cup.

But most of those clubs in France, England and Japan will be offering multi-year deals, which will be at odds with the ARU’s new concession of just one season off-shore.

Folau is the ARU’s most important marketing tool and was vocal in his preference for the governing body to change their rules, which prevented any overseas-based player from playing for the Wallabies, before the new sabbatical stipulation was introduced three weeks ago.

“It is obviously a good thing for the players that will take part in that, it is a good thing Australia can keep its key players in Australia,” Folau said.

“I have still got one more year to go so I’m not thinking about what is happening after that right now.

“It’s good that the ARU came through with it.”

There has been constant speculation linking Folau to French glamour club Toulon, and he responded by saying: “They have got some great players, they won it last year.

“But there is interest coming from everywhere. That is not something I worry about at all, I leave it up to my management to deal with that. (Toulon) have got some great players that you would want to play with.”

Even a return to the NRL is not out of the equation.

“I enjoyed playing league for the years I was involved, since I joined rugby I haven’t even thought about rugby league at all,” he said.

“But I’m not going to write anything off, it will certainly still be an option in the future.”

Folau and the rest of the Wallabies squad departs for South Africa tomorrow morning for their match against the Springboks on September 27 in Cape Town before travelling to Argentina to face the Pumas on ­October 4 in Mendoza.

Australia must win both games if they are any hope of clinching The Rugby Championship title, while also hoping that the All Blacks stumble against the Pumas in La Plata and the Springboks in Johannesburg over the next fortnight.

The Wallabies have not beaten South Africa in Cape Town for 22 years, and the Boks will be eager to retain the Mandela Challenge Plate they emphatically regained last year with a 28-8 win at Newlands.

“Playing the Boks in South Africa and the Pumas in Argentina is going to be a great challenge that we will enjoy,” Folau said.

“If we can pull off wins in those games, it will give us great confidence for the rest of the year and beyond.”